Clasp



(No Model) B. s. SMITH.

CLASP.

No. 289,153. Patented Nov. 27, 1883.

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PATENT 'FFIICE.

EDXVARD S. SMITH, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

CLASP.

srnornronrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,153, dated November 27, less.

Application filed October 8, 1883.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD S. SMITH, of W'aterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement in Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specificution, and represent, iii- Figure 1, aperspective view; Fig. 2, a vertical central section. c

This invention relates to an improvement in clasps, such as used upon the end of a strap to support the stockings, and commonly called "stockingsupporters, 1 but applicable to other uses, and particularly to that class of clasps which consist of a base, one end terminating in a loop for attachment to the strap, the other in a jaw combined with a lever hinged to the base, one end terminating in ajaw to engage with the jaw on the base, the other extending above the pivot and toward the loop, to serve as a handle for opening the jaws.

In the more general construct-ion of these clasps the upper end of the lever stands away from the base or loop plate, so as to easily catch upon the garments. This is a serious objection to the use of these clasps.

The object of my invention is to construct the clasp so as to protect the upper or open end of the clasp; and it consists in turning the base-plate inward, so as to bring the loop into substantially a vertical central line, and turning the upper end of the hinged lever toward the plate so as to pass beneath the shoulder formed by the bend in the platc, as more fully hereinafter described.

A is the base or plate, terminating at one end in a jaw, c. At the other end a slot, 1), is formed or other meansprovided for engagement of the plate with the standing strap. Below the loop the plate is bent inward, so as to bring the loop in substantiallyavertical central line over the jaws, and so as to form ashoulder, d, below the loop. B is the other part or lever,

terminating at one end in a jaw, e, corresponding'to the jaw a. Each part A B has an ear {No model.)

upon each side, turned toward the opposite jaw, and through these cars a pintle, f, is introduced, to form a pivot upon which the two parts will turn. Around this pintle is a torsion-spring, h, one arm of which bears upon the part A, and the other upon the part 13 above the pivot, the tendency of which spring is to force the jaws c e. together, but allow them to be opened. The upper end of the lever B is turned inward, as at i, into a position below the line of the shoulder (l, and so as to. practically close the space between the upper end of the two parts. To open the jaws, the upper ends of the two parts are brought together in the usual manner, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 2, in doing which the turned-in end t'passes beneath the shoulder d to a sufiicient extent to permit the opening of the jaws. The formation of the jaw ends a e and the method of hinging the two parts together is immaterial to my invention, it only being essential that the two parts A B shall terminate at one end, so as to form a pair of corresponding jaws, and with a spring to force the two jaws together, the spring yielding to permit the opening of the jaws. By this construction not only do I bring the loop into a vertical central line, but I completely cover and protect-the opening between the two jaws above the pivot, to prevent its catching upon the garments.

In a previous construction the base-plate has an opening made through it below the loop, the loop standing in the same plane as the base, and then the upper end of the lever turned backward into line with the opening, and so that in pressing upon the lever to open the jaws the turned end will pass through the opening in the base. A serious difiiculty exists in this construction, arising from the fact that in taking hold of the clasp to disengage'it the person will naturally place one finger upon the back side of the base and directly over the opening and the thumb upon the lever. Then as pressure is applied no effect is produced, because the turned-in end of the lever will bear against the finger, and the person will simply press the upper end of the lever between his two fingers without any effect thereon,whcreas by bringing the lever forward, s0 ing to bear, respectively, on said parts above as to form the shoulder (I, this difliculty is the pivot, the one part, A, constructed witha overcome 1 r loop, I), at its upper end, said part-bent below 15 I am aware of Patent No. 206,896, and claim the'loop to form the shoulder d and bring the 5 nothing therein shown or described. loop into a vertical central plane, the other I claimpart, B, turned inward, as at 5, below the The herein-described clasp, consisting of the shoulder d, substantially as described. two parts A B, each terniinatin at one end in v y T jaws, respectively,gafe eaeli-pa rt constructed SMITH IO with ears 011 their sides, turned towardthe oplVitnesses:

posite jaw, a pintle, f, through said ears, a tor: E. A. SMITH, sion-spring around said pintle, its arms eXtendl EDWARD FABRIQUE. 

